|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Travelers who reach the airport security line without an acceptable form of identification may soon have to pay for the mistake. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has proposed an $18 charge for passengers who opt into a new identity-verification system for travelers without a Real ID or other federally approved documents.
In a notice published in the Federal Register, TSA outlined plans for an “alternative to today’s manual verification process, instead of relying on officers to ask biographical questions and coordinate with the National Transportation Vetting Center.
The agency intends to launch a more automated system to complete the additional identity verification steps. Under the proposal, travelers would provide personal details and potentially biometric data, such as a facial recognition scan, to confirm their identity.
The fee would grant passengers access to the system for 10 days, which TSA notes could cover both outbound and return flights. According to the agency, the charge would help offset development costs and support a broader rollout at airports nationwide.
TSA Agents Taking A Break
The upcoming change is tied to the Real ID requirements that took effect in May 2025. Travelers must now show a compliant driver’s license, passport, Global Entry card, or another federally recognized ID to enter the security checkpoint. While TSA’s current fallback process is still available, it can be lengthy.
It may involve additional screening, including pat-downs and more extensive bag searches, with no assurance that a traveler will be cleared to continue.
The proposed updated system aims to speed things up, but it still won’t guarantee entry. Suppose TSA cannot confirm a traveler’s identity through the new method. In that case, the passenger may still be denied access, and the $18 fee will not be refunded. The program is optional, but those who decline it and lack Real ID-compliant identification will not be permitted through security.
TSA has not set a launch date, but the earliest rollout is estimated for January 2026. For now, the agency’s advice is simple: bring your Real ID to the airport to avoid delays, extra screening, and potential fees.
For a complete list of acceptable forms of ID, check the TSA website here.
“Think globally, act locally.”
It is crucial to be forward-thinking but not a forward person. “Be kind to everyone you meet because each carries his heavy burden…” Plato.
Embrace the three Constants: change, justice, and rightness.
The thought police are busy at work trying to suppress free speech. If allowed their march to madness, they will arrest your very thoughts.
Free Speech is thy Lord.’
